I see where you're coming from, but because we saw so little of Mott, he didn't bother me at all. Also, Picard pretending to be Mott in 'Starship Mine' justified his existence completely! That was pretty funny.
We see Mott in a handful of episodes, only in one or two episodes -as I recall- where he has any meaningful dialogue or interaction with the crew. Where he simply talked their ears off and offered advice to them. In other words, being a barber. How that's more insufferable than Neelix's appearances in 150+ episodes of Voyager where in pretty much every single one he offers nothing to the story or plot other than "comic relief" is beyond me. Take his last episode where he's trying to "cheer up Mr. Vulcan" by dancing to "generic 20th century rock and roll" and is dancing with a grin on his face. I can't even THINK about that scene without wanting to punch Neelix. [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58lBu4163pA[/yt]
Tim Russ is a good actor. I wonder if Vulcans would slow dance. Slow dancing is not as 'frivolous' as fast dancing.
I liked Mr. Mott. We only saw him every once in a while. Neelix smothered the Voyager crew and wedged his way into every part of the ship under the guise of trying to be useful.
Mott actually served a purpose. "He's the best barber in Starfleet". WTF can Neelix say that compares to that? I figure that gives him a little leeway to chat up the crew, especially since it only happens when they're in his chair, and the only time we ever saw it was with Picard & Worf who are likely the 2 most antisocial people on the whole damn ship, & therefore must make for an awkward social exchange in that setting. Who could blame him for trying to ease the tension? Alternatively, Neelix is the JarJar Binks of Star Trek
Indeed, there MIGHT be an argument here if Mott occasionally or even frequently marched onto the bridge of the Enterprise offering his advice and opinions on the situation or hassling Picard to get in for a trim, or that Worf's getting split ends and needs to use a better conditioner. Which, actually, I'd like to have seen that... But not in every single damn episode like happened with Neelix.
Neelix DOES Come through more often then you'd think "Fair trade" He saves several crewmates lives. in the void, it was his reccomendations that help janeway build an alliance. In the last episode hes in he almost singlehandedly manages to save a talaxian community.
I always felt bad for the actor who had play Neelix. To play a buffoon all the time. I remember him turning up on TNG as a buffoonish Ferengi as well.
I hold nothing against the actor, it's not really his fault it's how the character was written and how he was directed. Ethan Phillips is a good actor and I'm sure a great guy. That I want Neelix to be tossed into Voyager's warp-engine plasma stream like the dude in "Eye of the Beholder" has nothing to do with Ethan.
Neelix was a decent character when he was used right and given a good story. Dropping his annoying relationship with Kes was very helpful to him as well.